Rakhi Jayashankar's Blog, page 45

Hasratein By Mehr

Book Name          - Hasratein Author                 - Mehr Publisher              - Notion PressBuy books from Amazon



Review

A collection of poems that are sure to touch the strings of your heart. Mehr has laid bare his deepest emotions through the book. It is unable to generalise the book since author has touched various topics. From an unfulfilled romance, to communal fanaticism. From evening walk to acknowledging a mother, author has opened numerous possibilities for the readers to relate with.

Author starts off his musings with the Poem 'Battees Vikas Nagar' through which he talks about the changing scenarios. Further, the poems like Bagawati Karle Tu, Farz Karo, Kabristan, Sunsaan Diwali etc talk volumes about the pain in poet's heart to see how we are distinguished and bifurcated in  the name of religion. Another dominant feeling that is evident throughout the book is the pain of betrayal. Poems like Wafaa ka mol, Kashish, Ek Tareekh,Bheed ke musafir, Sazish, Jhootha Sach, Haqeeqat, Ek Intezaar etc tells us about relationships, be it friendship or love. Another theme that deserves mention is family. Ghar ki neev, Ek Soch, Maa etc will surely open our eyes. We can also see some philosophical foray through the poems Akhiri Baazi, Chaubeez Ghante, Zindgi tu azeez hai,Shaayad etc.

Overall the poems stay with us for days after we finish reading them. If we try reading it second or third time, we will get new meanings for them. It is indeed  feel good book written with a lot of sincerity. 
On a personal note, Ilteza waqt se is my favorite poem. 2018 has been a good reading year for me. First, The Last Attractor of Chaos; Then,  Blue Moon Day and now Hazratein. The third book to get a five star this year.

Verdict
I loved it

Scenario:   5/5Narration    :   5/5Entertainment Quotient: 5/5
This review is in return of a free book from the author.

The Last Seychelles Flame by Medha Nagur -Review

Book Name          - The Last Seychelles Flame  Author                 - Medha Nagur  Buy books from Amazon



Review

Dreams are that which empower you to attain everything that seems impossible. If dreams give you wings, love gives feathers to the wings.

Adrija is an ambitious and extremely talented girl whose dream is to become a photographer.  With an unconventional outlook she manages to grab a dream job in Mumbai. Her decision to go to Mumbai doesn't go down well with her parents who decide to ostracise her. Being neglected by her family from childhood, and dumped mercilessly by her four years boyfriend, she decides to take a plunge and follow her passion. Being almost penniless, she is apprehensive about how she should survive. Before she could make up her mind, she gets an opportunity to assist an international fashion photographer for a photoshoot in Seychelles, where she meets Omkar. Thenceforth the readers could see a bitter-sweet relation.

The book has all the flavours of a quintessential Mills n boons romance. A struggling female protagonist and a filthy rich male protagonist has become a cliché but author has balanced up with the looks where Omkar is not the typical macho hero and Adrija is not the Greek Goddess types. Adrija's emotional overture was well crafted but her character seemed to be too much of self-sympathising in the beginning. Towards the later chapters, she emerges as an independent and strong girl who shows immense self-respect , courage and presence of mind. Apart from Adrija and Omkar, none of the other characters are given much place. 

How Adrija emerges like a phoenix is inspiring to read. The exemplary narration is the USP of the book. It makes an otherwise predictable book interesting read. If adapted into a print version, the book has the potential to hook the romance loving readers.

Verdict

Easy read with good narration

Scenario:   3/5Narration    : 4  /5Character   :   3/5Entertainment Quotient:3.5 /5
This review is in return of a free book from the author  

Eleven Gods and Billion Indians by Boria Majumdar- Review

Book Name          - Eleven Gods and Billion Indians Author                 - Boria Majumdar Publisher              - Simon and SchusterBuy books from Amazon



Review

Truth is stranger than fiction. We watch too many movies and read numerous books but fail to see the thrilling reality around us. India is known as the land of cricket due to the unrelenting love and support we shower over the players but little do we bother about what's happening beyond the pavilion.Being a part of our life from the pre-independence times, cricket is always a relevant topic to write about.

Eleven Gods and Billion Indians is a sincere authentic and unadulterated account of the inside stories of cricket in India. Author has utilized the cordial relation he maintains with the cricket Gods and other related officials, by virtue of his profession, and weaved an anecdote of each event without any prejudice. The unbiased view of the author is the highlight of the book. We can see Ganguly-Chappel, Ganguly-Buchanan and Kohli-Kumble rifts. Author observes how cricket is the game of players while football is controlled by the coaches.

Author has done a detailed research for the book. In-spite of being privy of most of the incidents mentioned in the book, author chose to be maximum precise and that indeed is the highlight of the book.


Verdict
Perfect for all cricket lovers.

Scenario:   4 /5Narration    :   4/5Relevance   :  5 /5Research     :5/5
Entertainment Quotient: 4.75/5
This review is in return of a free book from the publisher  

Work Workers and Workplaces by Parthajeet Sarma- Review

Book Name          - Work Workers and Workplaces Author                 - Parthajeet Sarma Publisher              - Becomeshakespear.comBuy books from Amazon



Review

Does the space of work influence the productivity? Is there a connection between the work place and innovation? A decade back the answer to these questions would be an invariable know. Now we have started realizing the fact that creativity and innovation needs a space that gives them freedom entertainment and possibility of growth.

Parthajeet Sarma, through his book Work Workers and Workplaces, has come forward with a detailed study and analysis of workplaces. Author has systematically sown the importance of the topic , followed by the detailed study. He has complimented his views with some real life examples. An anecdote of an interesting scenario where there is door which could be set to schedule the usage of the conference room. Author has strongly placed the point that sometimes the time constraint or a countdown like this would black out our mind and hence detrimental to the productivity of the workers. Author has clearly defined the thin line between innovation and creativity.

The USP of the book is the narration. Author has convincingly put forward his arguments with some real examples. For instance, an example with candle and nails. While the major part of the book is about the relevance of having an employer friendly design and ambiance of the workplace, more space could have been invested in the applicability of the same. The relevance of the book in the current scenario is undeniable.

Verdict

A quite relevant book on the space of work.

Scenario:   4 /5Narration    :  4.5 /5Relevance   :   5/5Research     : 5/5
Entertainment Quotient: 4.5/5
This review is in return of a free book from the author

A Turbulent Tale of Love by Shalu Thakur Dhillon- Review

Book Name          - A Turbulent Tale of Love Author                 - Shalu Thakur Dhillon Publisher              - Invincible PublishersBuy books from Amazon



Review

Love is selfless.  The beauty of love depends on how forthcoming we are about accepting our loved ones. 

A Turbulent Tale of Love is the story of Nihal and Rabani. Two beautiful personalities. Two characters who are beautiful inside out. Nihal is troubled with the nightmares when he meets a beautiful girl who magically erases the nightmares. Nihal sets out to find the identity of her and manages to find out that her name is Rabani. Coincidentally, he meets her at the airport and manages a seat near to her but Rabani's guard is up when  strangers tries to be over-friendly with her. How Nihal manages to travel together with her and finally connect with her is beautifully laid out. Further they have to deal with the past that affects their present life. How they overcome the turbulence is the crux of the plot. 

How the romance between Rabani and Nihal develops is interesting to read. Author has made sure that the characters are given enough space to develop. The characters of Neil, Mannat, Rabani's and Nihal's fathers are growing through the plot but both mothers are not seen throughout the book and hence their major role in deviating the plot towards the end seemed a bit out of place. The miss goody two shoes character of Rabani was also difficult to digest. A little more realistic side of the protagonists could have been depicted. 

The past of Nihal and how it affects his life further is portrayed convincingly and it is heart-wrenching. The style of narration is the USP of the book however the cover page could have been better. The twists in the tale was more or less predictable but it is interesting to see how the author kept the subplots ready so that everything could fall in place towards the end.

Verdict

Overall the book is an interesting romantic foray.


Scenario:   4 /5Narration    :  4.5 /5Character   : 4  /5Entertainment Quotient: 4/5
This review is in return of a free book from the author

Hope and sunshine by Debasmita Nath Ghosh - Review

Book Name          - Hope and Sunshine  Author                 - Debasmita Nath Ghosh  Publisher              - Power PublicaBuy books from Amazon



Review

Is it possible to love two people at the same time? Is true love a mirage? Is it difficult to have a successful long distance relationship? Hope and sunshine by Debasmita Nath is a realistic depiction of deeper emotional tug of war.

Naina Grover is a headstrong talented competitive girl who is the star performer in an MNC. She is the representative of quintessential new generation lass. She knows what she wants in life. She has fought the demons of her past and helps others deal with theirs. In a relationship with Ved, her college mate, Naina is struggling to find a balance of her mind. While trying to figure out the future of her relationship,  Naina meets Aditya, her colleague and her cousin brother Arjun's friend. Ved lands in a difficult situation when her mother is diagnosed with a fatal disease. Further we see a happening emotional drama.

Naina's character had different shades and hence most realistic. The confusion in her mind is the reflection of every girl's life. The friendship between Naina, Aditya and Arjun is the life of the whole plot. Another interesting part is Naina's relation with her mausi. In spite of the fact that most girls are more attached to their aunts, the depth of the relation is an unreaped plot in Indian literature and hence refreshing too. The narration is vernacular and hence brilliant on author's part to make it in first person.  What makes the book stand out is the time it takes to evolve Naina's feelings. This makes the book quite relatable.

The plot takes off in a cold phase. The narration consumes a warm up time to get into the groove. The character of Naina too takes time to develop. Aditya and Arjun's characters are both on the spot while Ved's character needed more space probably a chapter on the third person narrative. The overall frame of the plot is predictable. Naina's past and it's influence in her present and future life is a subplot which had a lot of possibility and hence could have worked on more. Overall a round of developmental edit would have made the book way better

Verdict

A realistic tale of a quintessential new generation lass.

Scenario:   3.5 /5Narration    :  3 /5Character   :  4.5 /5Entertainment Quotient: 4/5
This review is in return of a free book from the author   

Rafina by Shandana Minhas- Review

Book Name          - Rafina Author                 - Shandana Minhas Publisher              - Pan MacmillanBuy books from Amazon



Review

Of late, feminism is the norm in women's fiction. More than feminism, it tends to be misandry. A welcome change to this cliche is Rafina by Shandna Minhas for the book is primarily the musings of the protagonist.

Rafina is an ambitious girl who dreams of being the billboard girl one day. Living in a low income family with her mother and brother, Rafina's chances of being a star is menial. Nonetheless she dreams big and work hard to attain her aim. With the help of her Rosie Khala, she learns the beauty care jobs like waxing, threading etc. From stinky armpits to smelly mouth, the dealing with the customers is far from what she expected. However, she managed to land herself in Radiance beauty parlour where the top film stars and models come to transform themselves. The life in Radiance is a far cry from what she has expected. Instead of becoming a top model, she becomes a tea girl. Nonetheless, an unfortunate day in her life turns out to be the most auspicious for her. Further developments wrap up in the climax.

Rafina's character itself is the highlight of the book. She is different from the usual miss goody two shoes that we get to read. She is condescending, and self obsessed. The book primarily the rants in her brain,which could be termed as her musings. She thinks low of almost everyone who succeed and thinks that she deserve a better chance in life. The narration could have been in first person since most part of the book is about Rafina's thoughts. Rest of the characters are not given much space to develop except that of Rosie Khala.

Rafina's comparison of herself against the other women is body-shaming in disguise. Making fun if fat bodies ( eventhough the character says it.) The dark side of the modelling industry is subtly mentioned. The climax was abrupt and a squeezing in of sexual indulgence in one word, too contributed as a turn off. The insinuation was that the models have all compromised to attain the success was mildly propagated.

Overall the book is a multidimensional read.

Verdict

Different dimenions

Scenario:   3 /5Narration    :   3/5Character   :   4/5Relevance   :   /5
Research     :/5
Entertainment Quotient: 3.5/5
This review is in return of a free book from the publisher  

Book Spotlight - Let You Be My Puppet Once

Book Spotlight- Let You Be My Puppet Once by Preetika MehraBuy the book from Amazon





Blurb

Losing their faith in the System, a group of MNC-employed youngsters decide to take revenge on some politicians and businessmen after having suffered at their hands. Their master plan also exposes the connections of the powerful with the rich, of the mafia with politicians and of those who exploited the poor. All this leads to a war. A war that had never happened.
The Chief of Intelligence had never dealt with such brilliant people who were entangling him in multiple versions of events. After a while, he is unable to differentiate between the real and planted evidence. The clock is ticking. The media is on adrenaline.The Chief is faced with several questions. How did it all happen? Will he be able to solve the case? Can he get the accused politicians acquitted? Should he find an escape for himself amidst the turmoil?It's time he found the answers!
About the author


Preetika is a 1990-born, Economics Graduate from the University of Delhi. She completed her MBA from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) Delhi in 2016 and is currently working with an MNC in Chennai, India.
Since her childhood, she has been passionate about social structures, economic policies and philosophy, analyzing and finding connections in all of them. In her free time, she loves reading and learning about Zodiac signs, practicing yoga, and cooking.
This spotlight is a part of ON THE OUTSET

Inkredia by Sarang Mahajan- Review

Book Name          - Inkredia Author                 - Sarang Mahajan Publisher              - Gloryburg PublishingBuy books from Amazon



Review

Writing a fantasy is tough. It provides you immense freedom since you have no limits for your imaginations. Noon would say it never happens in real life as it's fantasy. But it gives equal amount of responsibility as the fantasy should be convincing and extraordinary simultaneously.

Sarang Mahajan, through his book Inkredia has made use of the possibilities of a fantasy and delivered a convincing and enchanting tale of Luwan. Luwan of Brida is forced to leave Brida as he refuses to pay taxes to Gruwak. While counting on the possibilities to face the situation, Gruwak comes across General Rominan, a magcal books, which, through riddles tell him to leave Brida. Along with his sister Meg and with the help of his friend Narjo, Luwan sets out to another world, unaware of the secret behind his life. 

The book is full of magical characters. The nail biting suspense and adrenaline rush of actions forces the readers to cling on to the book. The characters are given enough space to develop and the sequences are connected well so s to maintain the pace of the book. The narration is also commendable. Overall author has succeeded in holding the attention of the readers who are not interested in the genre too. Author could be invariably called an Indian J.K.Rowling

Verdict

Engaging suspense and imaginations.

Scenario:   4 /5Narration    :   4.5/5Character   :   4/5Entertainment Quotient: 4/5
This review is in return of a free book from the publisher  

Freedom from the I by Shashank Kasliwal- Review

Book Name          - Freedom from the I Author                 - Shashank Kasliwal Publisher              - Jaico BooksBuy books from Amazon



Review

The book reached me at a point when I was really in need of a pointer to where to go ahead. Starting a review on a personal note might seem unprofessional but the book has had so much of impact on me that I could not help myself personalising it.
While we deal with problems, in a fear of how it would lead us, we choose the path of escapism. Another reason for the troubles is attachment. attachment is not merely to a person but to our expectation/pinions. This observation made by the author is the crux of the reason behind sorrows. 

Unlike the general pattern of books about spirituality, psychology and philosophy, the book approaches our lives on a more realistic realm. While speaking of ego, author has observed and depicted in a different dimension that how we normally view it. Citing examples from his own experience, author has given a more relatable account of dealing with issues. One such is about handling complaints.

Injured and blocked emotions as well was attaining consciousness has personally impacted me so much so that I was shifted from a confused lens to a crystalline one. Author rounds off the journey away from 'I' with emotional blocks. The chapter conscious relationships made me wonder how the author depict my scenario with so much precision, which turn proves how deeply the author has approached the subject.

Verdict
Spiritually, emotionally and psychologically charging.

Narration    :   5/5Relevance   :  5 /5Research     :5/5
Entertainment Quotient: 5/5
This review is in return of a free book from the publisher